Called the E-RA, which stands for Electric RaceAbout, the vehicle is equipped with a 280-kilowatt electric motor system and fitted with Nokian Hakkapeliitta 7 studded tires. The direct, four-wheel-drive car has four electric motors in total and a lithium-titanate 32-kilowatt-hour battery system, propelling the E-RA from zero to 60 mph in six seconds. Watch it:

The E-RA has a carbon-fiber monocoque frame and weighs just over 3,700 pounds, with roughly 1,200 pounds coming from the battery alone. According to the website dedicated to the car, students and researchers started building the top-shelf electric vehicle in 2009 with the help of several different business partners.

image via Nokian Tyres

Electric cars can have trouble operating in cold temperatures, so the fact that the vehicle was able to reach such high speeds on ice is pretty impressive. Plus, the team says the vehicle has a fuel-use equivalent of less than half a gallon of gasoline per 60 miles.

Aaron Colter is a freelance writer and marketing consultant in Portland, Oregon. A graduate of Purdue University, he has worked for the NCAA, Dark Horse Comics, Willamette Week, AOL, The Huffington Post, Top Shelf Productions, DigitalTrends, theMIX agency, SuicideGirls, EarthTechling, d'Errico Studios and others. He is also the co-founder of BananaStandMedia.com, a free record label, recording studio, and distribution service for independent musicians.